Reliable grapevine contacts indicate the California Coast between Oakland and Los Angeles was washed out, and Amtrak was detouring via the Central Valley and over Tehachapi.
Anybody got any details?
I just checked Amtrak service alerts as well as local [LA area] tv news and newspapers and I find nothing as of 746 pdt.
KP: Amtrak filed a service alert that the Coast Starlight was not going to stop at intermediate stations between Oakland and LAX on certain dates due to some ROW work.
Today north and south bound trains operated on regular route.
Yesterday they operated from SAC - LAX with no intermediate stops. Don’t know why they did not go to Oakland. Speculate that southbound may have gone straight from SAC because it arrived so late in SAC however that is just speculation. It may be that that was the original plan and the service alert is incorrect.
If you want to go over Tehachapi suggest you check it for reservations to an intermediate station and if res says there is no service for that day maybe a good time to ride it? Of course check with a res agent as well?
Edit: changed San Jose to Oakland
The source of a source personally saw a southbound Amtrak on Tehachapi.
The Amtrak website says otherwise. So, I don’t know what is going on.
I wonder if the eastbound California Zephyr was taking the long way around to Utah. On the other hand, the origin of my contact chain may have been so tired he got his days mixed up.
I was told last week by a UP conductor that Amtraks would be detouring through here some time soon (I forgot the exact dates) due to work on the Coast Line. It may have been this week.
Friday I left salinas southbound on US 101 down to Paso Robles. UP had a lot of tie replacement equipment from what I saw. I was not paying it much attention at the time and was concerned with other things. FYI Rgds IGN
PS One other thing caught my attention. Between Wasco and Mojave on the old sp now UP main I counted 3 trains of empty container cars. I had thought it was UP’s policy to send these down the coast line. I was kind of surprised to see these trains in the valley. Rgds IGN
Ah, now evidence that detours did take place that date …
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/189464.aspx
I didn’t see the above link post previously …
K.P.